A Serious Spinach Quiche

I’ve finally decided to climb out of the Himalayan mountain range of paperwork and get some fresh air in the kitchen…

I was hoping my return food post would be about the first real dinner I cooked in the new place.  But, as laziness would have it, I didn’t accomplish that goal.  The distraction of chaos, the absence of a camera, and an impatient appetite thwarted that whole notion.  (Just for the record, however, the First Dinner was pan-roasted duck breast with a natural jus mounted with a knob of butter, accompanied by farro with wild mushrooms, swiss chard and roasted acorn squash, inspired by this fabulous recipe from Houseboat Eats…)

I settled on spinach quiche instead, which was requested by my friend Mindy of Bella, a lovely fashion blog.  I love quiche myself, so I was very happy to oblige.

Rather than use my standby recipes for pâte brisée and royale (which is the dough and custard respectively,) I decided to go with Thomas Keller’s version from Bouchon, one of the several cookbooks in my collection that I’ve somehow managed to elude.  I’m sorry I waited so long.

This is one serious quiche.  I’ve never made one like this before nor have I ever seen one served like it.  Highly labor-intensive, this is a real project.  But oh so worth it indeed:  Crisp on the top, a flaky crust that isn’t soggy, and an interior of pure silk.  No other quiche I’ve had compares.  Just give yourself plenty of time to make this, at least a day in advance of consumption.  Its also important to make sure you have the right equipment before starting.

Notes on some of the techniques:  I’ve made a few batches of brisée dough in my life, and this technique is the most thoughtful and brilliant I’ve ever used.  Such a simple difference between this one and well, the rest.  Basically, the flour is added in two batches, rather than one, giving the butter a better opportunity to combine without getting too warm or leaving chunks that can form holes in the pastry when cooked.  Another characteristic difference between this quiche and what we see in America is the thickness.  Rather than a standard pie dish, a 9″ x 2″ high ring mold is utilized, which affects the outcome of the custard.  With this technique there is no tendency for the eggs to overcook.

“But Connie, I don’t own a large ring mold.” I don’t either.  I’m sure a regular cake pan of the same depth and size would work fine;  I managed to succeed with an enameled spring form pan without parchment paper or oil.  (To stay true to the original recipe however, I’ve written the directions with the ring mold in mind.)

BASIC QUICHE SHELL, or PÂTE BRISÉE
adapted from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon
makes one 9″ x 2″ quiche

2 C all purpose flour, sifted, plus extra for rolling
1 tsp kosher salt
8 oz chilled unsalted butter, 1/4″ dice
1/4 C ice water
as needed, canola oil

Place 1 C of flour and the salt into a mixer with a paddle attachment.  Turn on slow speed, and gradually add the butter, small handfuls at a time.  Once all the butter is in, turn up the speed to medium and mix until butter is fully incorporated, there should be no visible pieces.  (It will be a soft dough, but don’t overmix it.)

Turn off machine, scrape the dough off the paddle, add in the remaining flour and turn on to low speed.  Mix just until combined.  The mixture will be very dry and crumbly.

Add in the ice water and incorporate.  Again, don’t overmix.  The dough should be smooth and not sticky.  Shape into a 7-8 inch wide disk, wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Can be refrigerated up to a day, or stored in the freezer for a couple months.

Lightly grease a 9″ x 2″ ring mold and place on top of a sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper.

Put the dough on a floured surface and dust lightly with more flour.  Roll out to 14″diameter circle, 3/16 of an inch thick.  If the dough gets too soft, return it to the fridge.

Once its ready, roll the dough onto the pin and roll it back out onto the ring mold, lining up the centers to each other as much as possible.  Gently lower the dough into the mold, and press very gently into the bottom corners and sides of the mold.  There should be excess dough hanging over the sides.  Trim away excess, leaving 1″ of dough hanging over (Keller explains that this prevents the dough from shrinking into the sides when baked.)

Reserve the dough scraps and patch up any visible holes or cracks.  Place the ring mold on the sheet pan into the fridge and chill for 20 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F with the rack in the center.

When the shell is chilled, line it with a 16″ parchment round.  Place the round into the shell and weigh down with dried beans, rice, or pie weights.  The shell should be completely filled.  (Confession:  I didn’t fill it all the way, as I had to use the small amount of rice I had in the house, but it still worked.)

Bake the shell for 35-45 minutes, or until the dough edges are lightly brown.  The bottom should still be a light color.

At this point, remove the shell from the oven.  Take out the weights and parchment round.  With the reserved dough scraps, patch up any cracks or holes that might’ve formed.  Place the shell back into the oven and bake until the bottom is rich, golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove when baked and cool completely.  If there are still more cracks or holes, patch again before adding in the custard.

BASIC QUICHE BATTER, or ROYALE
adapted from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon
makes one quiche and then some

NOTE:  This recipe is made in two batches, unless you have a professional giant blender, or better yet, an immersion blender, in which case it can be made in one batch.  Only make sure to re-froth if needed before pouring into the shell.

2 C milk
2 C heavy cream
6 large eggs
1 tbl kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
6 gratings fresh nutmeg

Place the milk and cream into a heavy pan and heat over medium.  Remove right before it simmers, set aside and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

In a blender, combine half the amount of all the ingredients, including the milk mixture.  Start on low speed (to prevent custard explosion) and increase to high speed.  Allow to blend for about a minute.  The mixture should be frothy.  Pour this half into the quiche shell.  This is your first layer.  Add more quiche ingredients for the second layer, make the second batch of custard, and pour over the top of the quiche.

There may be extra batter left, which can be used for oh I don’t know, individual quiches in puff pastry shells or something tasty like that.

TIP:  Batter should be at least room-temp to ensure more even baking when used.

SPINACH QUICHE or QUICHE FLORENTINE
adapted from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon
serves 8 individual portions

2 tbls unsalted butter
1/4 C minced shallots
1 pound spinach, large stems removed and washed
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 C grated Comté or Emmentaler cheese
Basic Quiche Shell
Basic Quiche Batter (best to make right before assembling the quiche)
as needed, canola oil

Line a sheet pan with a couple layers of papertowels.

In a large rondeau or sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Sweat out the shallots until softened and slightly translucent (no color).  Add half the spinach, seasoning with half the salt and pepper.  Sauté until the leaves wilt, about a minute.  Add in the remaining spinach and seasonings and cook until just wilted again.  Spread out the spinach on the paper towel-lined sheet pan and allow to cool.  (I throw mine in the fridge, personally.)

When the spinach is cooled, squeeze out the excess water and chop roughly into smaller pieces (this will make the quiche easier to slice.)

Preheat the oven to 325˚F with the rack in the center.

In the shell, place half the spinach and a third of the cheese evenly on the bottom.  Add the frothed-up batter in halfway up the shell.  Top the batter with the remaining spinach and another third of the cheese.  Make the other half of the batter and pour into the shell up to the top.  Finally, sprinkle the remaining cheese.

Place the quiche into the oven and bake for about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until the custard is set which you can test by gently jiggling the pan.  When done, cool the quiche outside until room temperature (this takes a few clock turns), and then chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

Once chilled, trim away the excess crust that is hanging over the sides of the ring mold (I used a serrated paring knife, a bench scraper would work as well).  Carefully remove the quiche from the ring mold, using a small paring knife to release the sides if necessary.  (I didn’t have to do this with my spring form.)

To serve:  Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Lightly oil the paper with canola oil.  Slice the quiche into 8 pieces and place onto the sheetpan.  Heat for about 15 minutes, or until heated through.  You can take a metal skewer, insert it into the thickest part of a slice, and then touch it right above your upper lip to see if its warm (this sounds scary, but its not and very reliable.  Professionals do it on a regular basis.).  Serve.

TIP: I know some people will eat quiche cold, but this is melt-in-your-mouth-to-die-for warmed up.

If ever I manage to pull myself away from The French Laundry, I will eat here.

All recipes were adapted from Bouchon, New york: Artisan, 2004. Print.

I was not paid to endorse JB Prince in the ring mold link.

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